This invention relates to a winding or spooling apparatus for threads and in particular, for synthetic filaments or fibers, which requires the use of a traversing device such as that disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,664,596 wherein the traversing thread guide means has an arcuately-shaped shoe as a cam-following element adapted to ride in the reversing spiral groove or grooves of a rotatable cam roller while also being guided for reciprocation in a straight line by the engagement of a plate-like slide piece on the thread guide arranged to engage in two parallel guide grooves acting as rectilinear guide rails, each having a pair of inner and outer lips or edges which form the sides of the respective grooves. Such a traversing device is conveniently arranged within a casing or housing having an elongated slot extending axially parallel to the cam roller with the oppositely facing longitudinal edges of the slot providing the two parallel guide grooves or guide rail means for the slide piece of the thread guide.
In the winding of threads that reach the traversing device in a loose association, as is the case with untwisted or only slightly twisted synthetic fibers and especially those fibers consisting of individual continuous filaments, it frequently occurs that with any thread breakage a thread end is drawn into the traversing device and forms a so-called "winder" on the cam roller. This severe entanglement of the roller can lead to the destruction of the traversing device. Moreover, the removal of the winder is very difficult and time consuming.